Divine Oracles in every branch of Gods Word All the expressions that describe it testifie so much being equivalent with regeneration and conversion the new Creature and new man the translation of men from Darkness to Light and from Death to Life their bearing of his Image and partaking of the Divine nature their coming out of Bondage into Liberty by Redemption from Satans Kingdom into Christs own Kingdom c. Instances might be given of the excellency of every part hereof with relation to this Christian Vocation The Precepts requiring it the Promises assuring of it the prefigurations typifying it the Presidents performing it are all eminent All Instructions and Incouragements thereto all Threats and Punishments for the neglect and abuse thereof do eminently ratifie the same The Reason of it is as remarkable if we consider the Cause and Terms the Properties and Effects thereof 1. THE Cause is eminent It s God himself that calls thus by the Spirit of Christ internally and externally His Divine Excellencies shine here in their Brightness This is his Work-man-ship in the product whereof all his glorious Attributes concur harmoniously He is the fountain and the final Cause whence it flows and wherein its terminates He is the Prime and choise Agent who appoints and over-rules all Means in tendency thereto His Voice gives the formal Impression of it upon that matter which his Spirit disposes orderly according to his eternal purpose to be a fit subject for the Reception and Improvement thereof He speaks actively and effectively calling things that are not that they may be according to the good pleasure of his Will God thus considered both Essentially and personally is the eminent Cause of this Vocation not any meer Creature nor any thing considerable in it either in Gods purpose or execution Reason 2. The Terms of it are eminent Ones both the terminus à quo whence they are called and terminus ad quem to which they are called It s from slavery to freedom from a sinfull to a gracious state from the Power of Satan to God from misery to felicity from the drudgery of Hell to the glorious Grace of Heaven Is not this call then a most eminent One Reason 3. The Properties of it do further ground its Eminency it is a high calling a holy heavenly Vocation free and full sure and singular Nothing excellent in any creature but it sets out the choise qualities of this noble Vocation It s the highest Preferment which the most high can afford in his Kingdom to his best friends Children and Spouse It s the conforming of them in holiness to that which is the Top of Divine Excellency It comes from Heaven leads to Heaven and trains up for Heaven gradually efficaciously It s of his free gift to sinfull unworthy Wretches to fill them with the fulness of Christ It s surely made out and made good in a singular manner to all the Vessels of Mercy prepared for Glory through Grace Here are eminently fulfilled the fathers purpose and the sons purchase in proper applications of every Covenant-promise through the operations of his holy Spirit freely and fully surely and singularly in an high holy and heavenly manner All the Properties thereof are most eminent Reason 4. The Effects demonstrate its Excellency also This Vocation renders men truly noble and eminent It raises up their spirits to the best pitch of generous magnanimity to the scorning of all sinfull baseness It stamps the characters of Divine Nobleness upon their souls giving them so large an Interest in the royal blood of the King of Saints They are hereby qualified with that Princely Spirit which enobled Caleb to act so eminently for God and the publique So far as Christians harken to this Call it works on them and by them in a choise manner to the promoting of the Lords Interest and the publique Weal against all internal and external enemies of both This is it that duly improved makes all sorts of Christians eminently usefull in their respective places whether superior or Inferior The Application may 1. Inform our Judgement in two Corollaries 1. Of the Excellency of Grace which cals Christians thus eminently Carâ—â—… hearts cannot see any beauty nor comliness therein no more then in Christs own person who was accounted a Worm and no Man Yet is the Kings Daughter all glorious within in the beauties of Holiness though blind eyes cannot discern it The natural man understands not the things of Gods Spirit neither indeed can he because they are spiritually discerned but the spiritual man judges of all things spirituall by due comparing thereof The Kingdom of God said Christ comes not with ostentation and observation but is within you and among you like the Curtains of Solomon whose out side appears like the Tents of Kedar What if God do not thus call many noble nor many wise nor many rich after the flesh that his Grace may appear to be free Doth not he make them truly noble rich and wise whom he thus effectually calls Have not the famous Worthies of all Nations in all ages learned in Christs school with Theodosius to account their Relation to Christ the choisest flower of their honor and happiness Coroll 2. Observe hence also the baseness of every sin Original Habitual Actual It is sin that so notoriously opposes maligns and hinders this eminent Vocation Sin is that unworthy Varlet that cheating Mountebank who dares vâ—e it with the Lord and give a counter-call to millions of Souls Sin is that impudent Strumpet that bewitches the simple with flattering Charms of seeming pleasure profit and credit thereby to keep off Customers from hearkening to Christ Sin like the Hyena counterfeits often the shepheards voice in many disguised Seducers to draw in silly sheep into her snares Sin is that Monster which Panther-like draws brutish sensualists by plausable allurements into her cruell clutches This is the Dalilab that inveigles and captivates so many Sampsons by her juggling Tricks Sin is that cunning Rook which draws out of Christs road so many Travellers into the crooked wayes of error and baseness by misperswasions Is it not sin that debased the glorious Angels and the first Adam and hath made them Maps of wâ—â—tchedness that were at first Mirrors of happiness Is it not baser then Hell it self being the cause and founder thereof Nothing vile enough in the worst of Creatures to express this unworthiness of sin The poison and bane the venome and pest the excrements and filthiness of the very worst kind are mentioned in Scripture to point at the inexpressible baseness of sin This dung and dirt this puddle and vomit this filthiness and excess of naughtiness is the inveterate and desperate enemy of our eminent Vocation Vse 2. This should convince every Christian nominal and real of their unanswerableness 1. NOminal Christians that have
A Pleasant WALK TO HEAVEN Through the New and Living Way which the Lord Jesus consecrated for us and his sacred Word reveals unto us Published by CLAUDIUS GILBERT B. D. Minister of the Gospel at Limrick Prov. 3. 17. The waies of Wisdom are waies of pleasantness and all her paths are Peace Psal. 119. 1. Blessed are the undefiled in the way who walk in the Law of the Lord Act. 9. 31. Then had the Churches rest throughout all Judea and Samaria and were edified and walking in the fear of the Lord and in the Comfort of the Holy Ghost were multiplied Hos. 14. 9. The waies of the Lord are right the just shall walk in them but the Transgressors shall fall therein Jer. 6. 16. Thus saith the Lord stand in the waies and see and ask for the old paths where is the good way and walk therein and you shall find rest for your souls But they said we will not walk therein Eph. 5. 15 16. See that ye walk circumspectly not as Fools but as Wise redeeming the Time because the daies are evil Gen. 5. 24. And Enoch walked with God and he was not for God took him Phil. 3. 18 19 20. Many walk of whom I tell you weeping c. But our Conversation is in HEAVEN LONDON Printed for Francis Titon and are to be sold at the sign of the three Daggers in Fleet-street 1658. To my Highly honoured Vncle Colonel Henry Markham a Member of the Parliament AND To my worthily Honoured Aunt Mis Esther Markham his Endeared Consort Dearly Honoured and Beloved in the Lord IT is good for man to draw near to God whose fellowship is the cheifest good the Fountain of all Good The Psalmist found still the choice experience of that Divine Oracle and therefore commended it so highly to others The very beginnings of spiritual acquaintance with Christ are so savory to a sanctified heart that this precious Wine cannot but cause his lips to magnifie the sweetness thereof Grace is the lively Image of the living God resembling him still in activeness of communication and Holiness of Conversation They that have tasted how good the Lord is in his Word and waies cannot but be moved by the strong Impulse of such experiences to incourage still themselves and others to such a heavenly Communion with their God and faithfulness to him The best good is still most communicative diffusing its streams and displaying its Rayes to all round about The Followers of the Lamb have their reason and all other Powers of the Internal and external Man Spiritually ennobled and sublimed to discern all things by a Divine Light and make choice of Christ for their All in All incomparably before all things else Having once found him whom their souls do unfeignedly love their desire is still to keep close to him and walk worthy of him as far as his Grace is enabled through his Spirit that dwels in them to rule there for him They cannot but find strong Endearments obliging ther hearts to be soliciting still others with themselves to this Divine Exercise It hath pleased that Father of Spirits to make such an Impress thereof upon my Conscience that it engages me to judge my self deeply for former neglects and binds me forcibly to more diligent care for future occasions This small Piece now presented to you will speak my ressentments more expresly about this Subject It comes out in a very plain dress and without trimming the matter thereof being sufficient to commend its own worth to candid Christians and intended for the lowest forms of Christs school as well as for his Graduates It is my serious purpose with the Apostle not to know any thing ministerially and practically save Iesus Christ and him crucified in the efficacy of his Resurrection and in the fellowship of his sufferings being made conformable to his death It s not therefore the inticing words of mans wisdom I would delight in and labour for but the demonstration of his Spirit and Power Herein I would studiously design through his Grace to imitate Paul as he followed Christ None but Cbrist none but Christ was the Motto of a famous Martyr I would make it my desire and joy my Resolve and endeavour through the supplies of his Al-sufficient Spirit Your Acquaintance with him is best known to him and to his friends that have had acquaintance with your selves If this poor Tract may be found any way serviceable to the improvement thereof my heart shall rejoyce and bless God for it Your zeal for him and his cannot be forgotten of him nor of them Your labor of Love cannot pass unrewarded from God whatever construction or retribution it meets with from man The Lord is with you whilst you be with him The various experiences of his Word and Rod Spirit and Providence formerly dispensed and lately renewed toward you will be still of singular use and help being duly remembred and improved Walk still before him in the perfect waies of his uprightsness as Abraham and his faithful Worthies were directed by him so shall you be sure of his covenant-mercy in the performance of your covenant-duty His grace will be still sufficient for you and his strength gradually perfected in your weakness Be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might for the promoting of his Interest in your respective stations and motions against all spiritual enemies The good Will of him who dwelt in the Bush rest upon you both and all your Relations near and farther off for Direction Assistance and Blessing In him I delight to be known demonstratively as occasion serves Your cordially endeared and obliged Nephew to serve you upon the best accompt Claudius Gilbert From my Study in Limrick May 19. 1657. To all the Friends of Christ called to be Saints Christian Friends MAns Life is a short Walk towards Eternity A Race wherein Mortals continually move nearer to their endless unchangeable State whether of Weal or Wo. The great God who is Al-sufficiently blessed in himself was pleased to give Man a Being capable of Eternal Communion with Himself The Councils of his heart absolutely purposed before time he fulfils in time by the works of his hand that he might glorifie himself in all his Divine Excellencies He at first made man after his own Image having made all the world for his service His rational soul that Divine Extract that Work-manship of Heaven received as much perfection from God as such a finite Creature could manage in conformity to his infinite Creator His Blessedness consisted then in walking with God in that glorious state wherein all Creatures were at his command as so many steps leading him to that God whom they did so clearly represent to him Satan soon envied mans felicity having desperately cast away himself from the like condition He sets on the woman finding
her withdrawn from her husbands company that should have been her guide and stay and walking toward the forhidden Tree Her gazing thereon gives him advantage to insinuate with falacious Queries and to infect her with his serpentine Breath Adam quickly felt the direfull Touch of that sinfull contagion and turned form his God to follow the charms of that subtile enemy toward his own Ruin Thus man tasted the fruit of that deadly Tree which gave him the Knowledge both of good and evil by sinfull privation and wofull probation to the utter undoing of his whole Posterity Our whole nature was so totally and universally poisoned thereby that like the spawn of venomous creatures all men draw from him through theâ—e parents loins the cursed Principles of sin and sorrow Ignorance Error Atheism Unbelief with all the rest of that Serpents feed do brood in mans heart still to draw him further from God and Bliss towards Earth and Hell till Grace enterpose God suffers all this evil to bring a greater good out of it by his over-ruling of all men and devils to his glorious ends in a holy manner The eternal thoughts of his gracions Love toward his Elect in Christ doth he in due time effectually demonstrate promising Christ to them giving him for them and through his Spirit bestowing him on them in drawing them to him that they may walk with him and worthy of him His Gospel is the word of Reconciliation which offers and gives his Tearms of mercy to be treated upon between him and them By that voice from Heaven he calls them off from their sinfull march and stops them in the midst of their wofull career wherein they follow the Prince of darkness toward destruction Mans sinfull life is a wretched walk in Satans company through the inchanted allies of a conceited Paradise of seeming pleasures profits and preferments All men please themselves in such Illusions and delusions till the Spirit of Christ takes away that inchanted vail from their eyes to shew them convincingly both their folly and their misery That Gospel-voice of Christ which sounds in the ears of all sorts promiscuously is carried into the very hearts of his peculiar People by distinguishing Grace to turn them efficaciously from darkness to Light and from the power of Satan to God Through his glorious vertue he cals them to Glory and Vertue whom he did foreknow and predestinate them he thus called justified and glorified This effectual Vocation makes the great difference between men and men the most remaining still strangers thereunto Many never hear the least hint thereof many do openly reject it and many are found to profess owning thereof that never come up to the full terms of it This miscarying mistake being so facile and frequent so pleasing and pernicious it concerns all to review with care all their evidences to saving purpose Whilst so many walk so unworthily we have all most need to take cognizance of our case and course Most men walk in Lies and few are found walking in the Truth Self is the grand Idol of this back sliding degenerating Age The best are too subject to walk after the Lusts of their own eyes and to chuse their own waies when left to themselves The purest state of Primitive Christians need frequent and mutual quicknings much more do our daies Our Christian Vocation is so eminent that our unworthy walking of the same cannot but cast on all a proportionable meameasure of Reflection 'T is our choice honour and happiness to honour God and enjoy him in Christ walking before him as heroical Saints have done in all Ages places and Relations Our holy Vocation doth much resemble that lovely Eden that Garden of Pleasure planted by the Lords hand for mans delight and exercise in his friendly state of Communion with God Christ himself is our Tree of Life standing in the midst of the Paradise of God whose leaves and fruits abound with soveraign vertue for the healing and strength of the Nations Variety of spiritual Ordinances and temporal Comforts he affords herein most liberally for Pleasure and help Sin is the only Tree forbidden unto us which may not be fed on without danger of death natural and civil spiritual and eternal His own society God himself is pleased to assure and vouchsafe there also by the sweet breathings of his gracious Spirit in every Institution of his appointing His Presence and Blessing still do come along with that fresh Gale in the cool of the day to solemnize the match between Heaven and Earth in the Spring of his Grace and ripen all things towards the fulness of his glorious Harvest Idleness therein he cannot endure but allots to every one his Task that all may work for him and like him in converse with him The Father works hitherto said the Son and I work so doth the Spirit work in all his People to direct excite and enable them to this Heavenly Work How curiously gallant is such a Walk as this with such a company and in such an Eden wherein all things conspire to render Christs friends most holy and happy Should not this prevail with Rational Souls to prefer Christs waies before all the Worlds bewitching Braveries Should not carnal Hearts be eflectually drawn to admire and embrace the Beauties of Holiness upon Christs own Terms of conjugal Consent Should not Spiritual Hearts be quickned thereby to walk worthy of such a Vocation wherewith they are called Should it not oblige them to utmost Diligence in the best Improvement of all effectual means to the mutual quickning of each other in order thereto The lively Resentments thereof obliged my thoughts and engaged my Resolutions of pressing my self with my christian Auditory more vigorously to this choice Duty and noble Exercise The substance of those five Sermons which were publiquely delivered on this theme is here contracted in a plain Essay which some friends have conceived might be of further use by such a publication as this The blessing of heaven go along with it that this small Tract may prove an open door into the Lords Garden wherein his Spirit may lead you by the hand to your chief good to your God in Christ from grace to grace from strength to strength I shall leave you with him in such a blessed walk that you may not be longer interrupted from passing through the varieties thereof but may feed all your spiritual senses most deliciously in his Paradise walking before him and worthy of him in your fellowship with him If you reap benefit from this poor contribution bless God for it and rememember him at the Throne of Grace who cordially desires to be serviceable to God and his People though he finds still cause to acknowledge
Christ to be a peculiar People zealous of good works The welfare of the whole depends very much upon the worthy Demeanor of every part in its respective station and motion Unworthy walking is the great Obstructer of all publique Interest civil and sacred Thereby are the wicked hardned in sin and the godly grieved and discountenanced The Cement and Juncture of all societies are Impaired and ruinated by the same Truth and Peace Righteousness and Holiness are still affronted and basely abused thereby The very props and bases of every common-wealth shake and totter by unworthy courses God will not own them that will not own him He walks against such as walk against him With the Upright will he shew himself upright and against the froward will he appear froward Our own personal good is signally engaged therein in all temporal and spiritual regards A righteous walking exalts a Nation but sin is the reproach of any person or people He that walks uprightly walks safely and comfortably All the ways of Wisdom are pleasantness and all her paths are Peace He meets him that works righteousness walking and remembring him in his ways to direct their steps who acknowledge him in all their ways The way of Life is above to the wise to depart from Hell beneath Christians unworthy carriage is the blast of all Credit Comfort and Conscience Their worthy walking is most expedient for their own and others good Many are won to Christ by the good Conversation of the very women which have long resisted the Spirit and word of God The Life of Christians is the very Life of their Christianity making most lively Impressions upon others Examples are much more efficacious then Precepts for good against evil Docemur praeceptis ducimur exemplis Christ himself appeared an eminent Pattern as well as a Principle of holiness to lead all his people towards happiness Vse 1. See hence the sinfulness of Libertinism Notional and Practicall 1. NOtional Libertinism is most unworthy whose Principles are found so directly opposite to a Christians worthy walking Many such loose Tenets spread now like a Gangrene and ulcerous Cancers whose case and cure we have touched by Scriptural help in our Libertine schooled as also in our Antidote and in our Peace-maker lately published The famelistical quaking Opinions raked out of the old Gnosticks Dung-hils Popish rubbish and German sinks are put to sale under specious disguises and refinements Their pretended Light and self-sufficiency their Pharisaical Monkish Holiness and sinless perfection their blasphemous abuses of God the Father Son and Spirit of his Word and Grace Sabbath and Ordinances of Christs Merits and Satisfaction with the rest of such wretched trash are diametrally cross to the Truth in hand The conceit of universal Toleration of all things pretending to Conscience though clearly evil is of the like Tendency as also many of the Romish Principles pointed at elsewhere Those who think themselves bound to follow the Light within in every suggestion without regulation and Limitation of the Scripture-Light cannot but run into thousand hazzards and disorders towards delusion and confusion Such expose themselves to every unclean and lying Spirit that hath but cunning to bait his hook for them To be given up to our own hearts Lusts to walk after our vain Imaginations is the sorest Judgement that God Inflicts upon the Despisers of his word and ways Such spiritual Judgements usher in temporal plagues personal and publique witness the Records of all ages and places Oh! The sin and woe of such unworthy Doctrines which draw so many from the ways of God into the crooked paths of Delusion and Desolation 2. Practical Libertinism appears hence a most unworthy thing so wretchedly contrary to a Christians Walk The corrupt defluxions of notional Brains do soon infect their hearts and their hands Their wretched opinions do quickly putrifie their affections and conversations Levelling Principles do sadly break out in Levelling Practises to the razing down of every Ordinance Divine and Humane The deadly weeds that were kept under ground in the winter of former persecution do now grow apace in this spring of Liberty and Reformation Whilst Christ is offering a Divine Liberty to good and from evil Satan is promoting a hellish Liberty from good unto evil This is the Libertinism which the simple plead for and wise men abhor as most opposite to our christian walk and unworthy of the least Patronage from Christs name and friends This sinfull Liberty is wofull slavery to Satans drudgery Whilst such promise themselves and others Liberty they themselves are the slaves of wickedness walking after their own Lusts How unworthy are they of Christs Name that walk so unworthy of his Holy Vocation Vse 2. It affords a just Reprehension to all that walk unworthily whether sinners or Saints Sin raigns in the most remains in the best So far as the ways of sin are trod upon so far do Christians walk unworthy of Christ The whole world lies in wickedness being like a great Bog wherein multitudes utterly loose themselves The way of Truth and Grace is a royal causey built at the costs of Heaven quite through the same Christ himself is the personal way his Word the Doctrinal way and mans Duty the practical way paved by the Lord for his People to walk in This new and living way is the good old way whereto all Gods friends were called in all ages through faith in his name Whilst poor Creatures are wandring from Christs road they skip from one Hillock to another venturing a thousand plunges among swarms of spiritual Tories towards destruction if Grace prevent not Because this vast Bog is fairly garnished with flourishing grass it deceives millions that do prefer it before Christs high road which is hard and stony scattered over with briars and thorns by the subtilty of the common enemy Thus whilst sinful wretches are walking apace towards seeming pleasure profit or preferment from one grassie plot to another they ingulf themselves into dreadfull quagmires of sin and sorrow Consider it all ye that walk still in your Love and course of Ignorance and Pride Unbelief and Wordliness under the guidance of cheating Impostors and fleshly Lusts How unworthy of Christs name are you that walk so unworthily after Vanity and Lies to the shamefull disgrace of your Profession Could you but see your Ghostly Leader whom you follow so constantly in your sinfull ways what amazement would seize on your heart Satan himself is that Prince of the Power of the Air the Spirit that rules mightily in the Children of Disobedience after whom you walk according to the fashion of this world whilst you have your Conversation among them in the Lusts of your flesh fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind Paul himself acknowledges it to have been his own and others case before Conversion being by nature Children of Wrath even
debt to owe still to each other to owe still to each other It s his great Command renewed by him so wonderfully in every expression and carriage The Alpha and Omega of Law and Gospel the choyce abstract of his Covenant in mercy and Duty He would have Christians to love the Brotherhood to love as Brethren not excepting the meanest member of his They that have purified themselves in obeying the Truth through the Spirit to the unfeigned love of the Brethren are vigorously charged thus to love one another with a pure heart fervently This is the great wheel that must move all the rest It s a Divine Grace of a special Nature the Rare Cement whereby the Spirit knits their Hearts in One though their minds may differ and their persons may be at distance This is the fire that must still consume all rising corruptions and enflame all the powers and parts of the whole man with the zeal of Gods House and of all its Branches and concernments As far as any bears true love to God so far and no further doth he love his people that bear his Image notwithstanding all their infirmities God is Love and he that abides in Love abides in God By this Token were all Primitive Christians discerned from all others as by their Badge of Honour This is the Oyl of the Sanctuary that must anoint them with heavenly Joy and supple all their wheels that every motion may be plyable and smooth for their mutual help the want of this is the shame of Christ and Christianity the scandal of men the joy of Hell the sadning of Heaven the bane of our comforts the blast of all labours the very pest and ruin of all things Oh! that Christians were more sensible of it and quickned thereto 2. Tender compassion towards each other in all troubles and wants proportionable still to each of their various conditions Such a Sympathy and fellow-feeling Christ himself commends unto them by his own example that they may may be cloathed with Bowels after his Pattern and measure them out towards one another as himself also did Living Members must needs be sensible of each others smart if one suffers all must needs suffer in the Body of Christ mystical as well as in his natural Body Christians are bid and bound to rejoyce still with them that rejoyce and weep with those that weep Christ himself was still afflicted in all his peoples sufferings They are dead spiritually who remain still sensless of others case having their bowels shrivel'd up by their base selfishness A new heart is a tender heart such as Josias had a melting heart after Gods own heart such as David manifested to God and his people who is weak and I am not weak who is offended and I burn not said the great Apostle so well taught of Christ To be like Judas destitute of Bowels is as woful as it is sinful Remember them saith the Apostle that are in bonds as bound with them and them that suffer adversity as being your selves also in the body Christians should bear one anothers burthens and so fulfill the Law of Christ Nehemiah shewed his nobleness of spirit by his tender sympathy with Gods people under trouble whilst himself fared sumptuously in the Persian Court The prosperity of Gods house should be esteem'd and desired above our own Christ commends and rewards gloriously such a Disposition and carriage Paul highly celebrates their Name who had been thus affected towards him 3. Earnest supplication for the good of the whole Church and of every member of it is as useful as its needful sutable to their various necessities Christ would have us pray for our enemies and Oppressors much more for all Saints and one for another on special occasions with all possible encouragements to quicken thereto He excepts none from our prayers but such as evidently sin unto death bidding us pray for all sorts of men particularly for Rulers though no friends to us All Relations and spiritual ones peculiarly challenge this help from us in a singular manner Pray for the peace of Jerusalem they shall prosper that love thee Gods Remembrancers are eminently required to be continual Intercessours for Zion till she be made the praise of the earth Promises of assistance and acceptance are innumerably given to us from Heaven to direct excite and help us efficaciously to this choyce exercise 'T is the great Engine that moves Heaven and Earth wherein the meanest may act wonderfully and help the greatest It s a conquering weapon beyond compare of Gods own furbushing guiding and prospering He yields to it himself in his condescension and makes it Victorious over hell and Devils as over earth and men by improvement of his Divine strength through the spirit of Grace and supplications which he pours upon all his children This is the sure Post that carries Intelligence in a moment from all parts and makes all Gods people though at greatest distance helpful to each other by the surest sign of communication The thundering Legion of the Christians so famous for prayer in the Emperour Aurelius his Army wrastled with Heaven as Jacob had done in a conquering way and procured refreshment to their friends and ruin to their foes which moved their Prince to shew much favour to all Christians over his Empire which before had been much persecuted The poorest soul may Jacob-like become a Prince with God an Israelite indeed by such a violence offered to the Kingdom and power of Heaven which the violent do carry and take by a zealous force in the strength of Christ especially from the dayes of John the Baptist They shall praise the Lord that seek him and whatever they ask in Christs name according to his will is certainly granted This was Pauls delight and constant exercise which he heartily recommends to every Christian as their choyce Antidote against all evil and singular procurer of all good spiritual and temporal publike and private This is the Key that opens prison-doors unlocks mens hearts masters their hands over-rules the clouds and fetches contribution from every creature to the relieving of all Gods children A praying Christian is still doing and receiving much good God honours this Ordinance most because it honours him most in all his Attributes The groans and sighs the tears and cries of his poor weaklings are forcible Arguments and efficacious Tools which he cannot gainsay and will not resist They pierce through his heart and draw out his bowels by a Magnetick Vertue which Christs Spirit through his blood and Grace imparts to them by a Divine Touch All Christians should therefore improve the same to the uttermost for others as for themselves Apostacy begins stil with